


Fill in the Missing Blank Space

by Sheriarty



Series: Blank Spaces [1]
Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Alpha Eames, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, BAMF Arthur, Cobb is useless as usual but what else is new, Eames is being Eames, M/M, Not Beta Read, Omega Arthur, POV Ariadne (Inception), POV Third Person Limited, She is watching the Arthur-Eames show, blank space telling, ellipsis telling, is terrifying and will kill you, summary telling, which riles Arthur up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-11-26 03:06:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20923142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sheriarty/pseuds/Sheriarty
Summary: Ariadne has enough to think and learn herself (yeah, she knows), but she can't help noticing the way the two act around each other. There is a history there. She can't put her finger on it. She can't help watching them.It’s not every day you have that kind of interaction and a front seat to watch.---A story about the missing blank space between Arthur and Eames and how it is being perceived by an outside source during the Inception job.I just felt like writing a canon divergence take of their relationship in an A/B/O-verse from Ariadne's point of view.





	Fill in the Missing Blank Space

**Author's Note:**

> This is only the first of a series, so we do get to slowly fill in the blank spaces. I hope you enjoy it.

Ariadne would like to establish one thing first:

She is a little skeptical while she listens to Mr. Cobb telling her about dream heists, about lucid dreaming and dream levels. About building impossible things in a _dream_.

  
The only reason she doesn’t declare him clinically insane and backs away with her hands in front of her, is that Professor Miles was the one introducing them to each other and she respects the man.

  
Anyway, what is the worst that could happen going with a strange man to some kind of empty warehouse in the middle of Chateau Rouge after he tells you of dream-building stuff?

  
_(Her mother would throttle her if she’d hear this)._

  
Hearing Cobb's colleague is a male omega of all things, is almost as weird as the dream heist. Of course, she met some and had on occasion talked to one, but she had never really met a male one before.

They aren’t exactly common. One of her former professors was a sharp, strict female omega and Ariadne (like everyone else) couldn't decide whether she admired her or was utterly terrified. Probably a bit of both.

  
Omegas always elicit this ambivalent feeling of dread and admiration, she thinks. But they smell really, really nice.

* * *

Arthur, that's his name, is standing bowed over what Cobb explained is a _PASIV_ \- the machine that will enable them to 'dream heist'.

  
As they enter, he doesn't immediately look up, finishing whatever he is fiddling with in the machine. He straightens up after a minute or two and locks eyes with Ariadne.

  
She stops in her tracks shortly, feeling like a deer caught in headlights and Cobb has to sidestep and walk past her. Ariadne feels the back of her neck prickle, hairs standing up while she gets mustered. What for, she can’t tell.

  
Cobb immediately walks towards the desk, gesturing behind him to Ariadne as in an afterthought.

  
"Hi," Ariadne offers as she steps closer tentatively, waiting until Arthur has seized her up and then offers his hand, initiating the first touch. Polite, she muses and clever - Ariadne wouldn't have offered first touch.

  
He does smell really nice, she notices immediately, up close. Fresh and exhilarant almost. Even with the dampening scent of chemical blockers on him.  
He has a firm handshake (She might be a little thrilled when their hands entangle. It's a bit like touching a bengal tiger, she imagines.).

  
"Arthur. You must be Ariadne. I will explain the PASIV to you and we will do a test run with Cobb while I monitor your reaction to the chemicals. Standard procedure".

  
And that's how she meets Arthur. Terrifying, stoic Arthur, with a smile that makes you wonder what was in store for you if you tried to cross him. Ariadne is equally parts intimidated and captivated.

* * *

If she is being honest, she has been slightly worried and maybe a little curious after hearing that their ‘forger’ was going to be an alpha. The way Arthur's expression had sharpened at the mere mention of his name, his right hand gripping the pencil tight enough to show the white knuckles, was slightly disconcerting. They probably knew each other already.  
But then again they all seem to know each other in the way little old ladies in villages knew each other and gossiped at tea time.

Arthur, for all the terrifying air of ‘certain death if you shall cross me’, is surprisingly pleasant to be around. At least in Ariadne's company.

  
He is certainly stoic and sharp, but he helps her easing into the job with patience, a steady hand and a calm voice. Ariadne has expected less friendliness and more looming danger vibes.

  
Then again she doesn’t know many omegas personally and can only go by second hand experience.

Omegas are supposed to be quick to lash out, sharp and short-tempered. Or (specified from less kind sources) they are known as backstabbing, petty-minded bastards who always let their instincts get the better of them. And they're getting away with it, because society lets them get off with a slap on the wrist.  
Ariadne has never been a fan of putting people collectively into boxes based on their sexes. She, for a part, certainly doesn’t fit the nurturing, caring, family-bound, peace-preserving beta role, either, does she?

  
But there are a few things about their nature, she knows none of them can help experiencing (at least not without bulldozing meds).

  
Like the possibility of compatibility or dis-compatibility in alphas and omegas. She isn’t quite sure which one would be worse for them here.

* * *

"Won't it... maybe, I don't know, cause problems if they work together?" Ariadne had asked Cobb once, the blonde beta not even looking up from where he was writing something down, hunched in on himself with that haunted, tense air around him.

  
"They know each other. Worked together before." He had answered in a clipped voice, distracted as if Ariadne's concern was unnecessary. After being stabbed into the guts by the ghost of Mrs. Cobb, Ariadne didn't think _too_ highly of what Cobb thought was a necessary or unnecessary topic.

  
"So they're not compatible? Or dis-compatible, for that matter".

  
Cobb fingers had stilled for a moment, before continuing.

  
"They worked together before," he had repeated and gotten up from his desk to walk out on Ariadne. She had bristled after him in annoyance.  
She really doesn't like his attitude, handling her concern like this. By _not handling_ it at all.

* * *

_Not compatible, my ass, Cobb_, she thinks with an angry look to the beta when he and the alpha named Eames stroll in into the warehouse. Arthur had been charged all morning already – now Ariadne can guess why.

  
He goes from disgruntled and exhaustion-infused tiredness to terrifyingly still in the matter of half a second, so sudden that Ariadne freezes next to him on instinct, waiting for the threat to jump them out of nowhere.

  
The threat being a bulky, middle aged man with a questionable fashion sense and a smirk.

  
She looks between Arthur and the alpha briefly, but besides going frigid as a statue and staring, Arthur makes no move to acknowledge the new comer. So, Ariadne takes it upon herself to get up to greet him. She, for that matter, still has some manners (and she is kind of curious).

Her neck prickles uncomfortably as she crosses the warehouse and once she catches the alpha’s eyes, she can see them crinkle curiously.

He takes a step forward, smiling, waiting for her to extend her hand. Ariadne appreciates that he doesn’t force her to touch by extending his hand first. His teeth are a little crooked and even though he weighs at least twice as much as her, there doesn't seem to be a lick of danger about him. She wonders, if it's because of the fact that he's supposed to make people feel safe and calm, being an alpha and all that, or because he slouches and smiles lazily like a content cat. Maybe it's a bit of both. He should give off creepy greasy vibes, looking like those car salesmen out of the eighties, but instead it's just charming, on the verge of ridiculous, and his hand is warm and more tender than she'd imagine. His scent is soothing, soft and comfortable.

Ariadne likes him, she decides later on, when he comes back, after getting cigarettes, and has a round of coffee and bagels from the bakery by the corner with him. He even gives her first dibs, holding out the bag for her with a adorable wink. After that, he shows her some of his pick-pocketing tricks and explains her how to count cards. He lets her ramble on about what she is planning for the first level, listening attentively and looking as if he is genuinely impressed and curious. It doesn't hurt that he shares her love for unholy sweetened flavored hot drinks and pastries. He seems to know Paris like the back of his hand, writing down addresses for her on where to find the best baked goods. Ariadne decides that yes, she _definitely_ likes him.

* * *

The first week is slow-going, pulling like chewing gum, with way more theory than practice. It reminds Ariadne annoyingly much of her own first five semesters. But while Cobb treats her like a project (and probably a means to an end), and Arthur like his personal T.A., she is more observant than they seem to realize. And she like to use her time multi-tasking.

She knows for a fact that Cobb goes under alone way more often than he even lets Arthur know. And he thinks Arthur doesn’t notice.

  
She knows for a fact that Cobb thinks she knows more about the special kind of crazy that goes on in his head than anyone after sneaking into his dream. He is wrong, everyone on the team can smell his eau de fou.

  
She knows for a fact that Arthur is always the first to be there in the morning and only leaves because Cobb usually kicks him out.

  
She knows for a fact that Cobb thinks he is looking out for Arthur, while Arthur thinks he is looking out for Cobb, while Eames is the one looking out for them collectively. He brings food and drinks and gets them all together for recaps. He feigns ‘not remembering that part of the plan, explain again’ (‘math isn't my strong suit’, yeah sure Eames, you don’t need math to cheat on cards). It’s good to have the team meet every day, so each of them explains their own processes and progress. Team meetings are actually a good thing, who would have thought.

  
She knows for a fact that Eames always talks to each of them, every day. Most of the time it's just idle shit-chat to make them feel more comfortable. Or so they take a break. She wonders if it’s a natural habit of him to want to bond with his pack.

  
She knows for a fact that Yusuf drinks far too much energy drink and is the most observant of them all, telling her all about what he gathers from the others on their late-night walks, after they finish up for the day. She likes those walks.

  
They both know for a fact that the ignoring part on Arthur’s side in the first week, is nothing but an act and will surely turn into something else soon (they might have bets on when exactly).

  
She has enough to think and learn herself (yeah, she knows), but she can't help noticing the way the two act around each other. There is a history, she can't help but wanting to know. It’s not every day that you have this kind of interaction and a front row seat to watch.

* * *

And what a _show_ she gets. Arthur, Ariadne thought until week two, is a balanced, restricted kind of person. She is very, very wrong about that.

When Eames strolls in late yet again and makes no qualms about not having read anything of what Arthur gave them the day before, the omega actually throws a highlighter at the man. He starts to snap at him for being an unprofessional and lazy twat - Ariadne worries briefly how the alpha might react to such insults - Eames only grins and grins and makes snide remarks about Arthur’s uptightness and before Ariadne even had her second sip of coffee, the two are up in each other’s personal space: Arthur growling at the alpha, who is dropping into seriously unholy levels insults, all the while grinning (or baring his teeth?). Ariadne is thinking about getting a bucket of water, when Cobb more or less pulls Arthur backwards by the back of his waistcoat, the omega looking two seconds away from clawing Eames’ ridiculously malicious smirk off while the alpha waves the omega off.  
And that’s only the start of it.

* * *

The habit of throwing things at Eames sticks with Arthur. Markers, folders, pencil, or on occasions, the stapler.  
The habit of taunting and inappropriate insults stick with Eames which more often than not results into having staplers thrown at him. Or having Arthur snarl at him.  
At least it has the effect of getting Cobb to actually act as if having any authority (and not just think himself to be the boss of them while everyone else do the work). Even, if it mostly just means pulling Arthur bodily away from Eames. Ariadne is contemplating in the investment of a water spray bottle. Or a stun gun.

* * *

"What is it with Arthur and Eames?" she asks Cobb late one evening when it's only the two of them left. Cobb is almost twitchy in a way Ariadne knows means he wants to get rid of her. Wants to be alone with the PASIV. Well, sucks to be him. Ariadne isn’t going anywhere.

  
"What about them," he replies, shuffling with his notes, without really doing anything with them. Ariadne keeps her face nonchalant. Cobb can act all dismissive, if he wants. Ariadne knows, he is secretly pleased that she comes to him when she has questions about the other team members.#

  
"Well, aren't they a bit overly hostile to each other lately?" she wonders, leaning back in her chair, a clear sign she is going to sit there, until she is satisfied with what Cobb gives her.

  
"Hostile".

  
"Yes? They snap at each other as soon as one of them opens their mouth? You need to pull Arthur away or kick Eames out of the warehouse for the rest of the day? They constantly needle each other, sometimes accompanied by throwing objects on Arthur’s part?" she elaborates with a lifted brow (It is almost comical to watch Arthur and Eames. If it wouldn’t be for the fact that they’re getting nowhere as soon as the two of them are involved. And it is not helping that when Eames is away to tail Browning, Arthur gets into an even worse mood. Maybe he misses bodily harming the alpha with office articles).

  
"First time they met, Eames almost got brained on a table," Cobb offers with half a shrug, before apparently giving up acting as if he is busy with his notes. He gets up, leaving a gaping Ariadne by the desk.

  
"Wha-, Hey, Cobb!" Ariadne calls after him, scrambling up to follow.

  
"What do you mean? Did they fight? You can't just run off after saying that!" she demands, but the blonde beta isn't even looking at her, as he packs his stuff. "Cobb-"

  
"If you want to know, ask them yourself." he replies, clipping his case shut smugly (at least Ariadne imagines him to be smug about it) and she grunts angrily, because they both know she won't. Arthur, for all the kid-gloves treatment he is giving Ariadne, would probably flay her with his eyes alone if she dared to ask him something personal and Eames is the kind of guy that manages to not-answer answer your question and leave you even more confused and frustrated afterwards.

* * *

Ariadne has to be satisfied with watching them from her desk with her 3D models, feeling like she is left out of the loop. It’s bugging her that she can only ever see them interact when they are all in a group working. Their interactions in the warehouse go after the same pattern after a while and she knows she won’t get much insight into their relationship like that.

  
It’s just always the same. Arthur is short-tempered because of Eames' general existence in his peripheral vision, Eames does something else (on purpose or not) to make that temper finally snap, Arthur starts his hissing fits, Eames taunts him even more, they end up almost scratching their eyes out, Cobb intervenes. Rinse and repeat.

But she still tries to puzzle out what it is with the two of them when they’re _not_ actively fighting.

  
It's clear that they a) know each other from before and b) she is relatively sure they had at least a fling before, if the way they act around each other is anything to go by. Arthur is pretty stoic and serious in general (at least she thinks she can say that after three weeks), but when Eames just so much as needles him? Oh boy does that omega flare up like a sparkler lit by a Bunsen burner.

Arthur is strict and takes his work very serious. But even so, he is relatively indulgent with the rest of them. He corrects her, helps her when she has questions and explains patiently when she makes mistake. He doesn't comment when Cobb snaps at him for no reason, or when the beta isn’t communicative until having had three coffees in the morning. When Yusuf comes in late in the mornings, or isn't prepared for meetings, he gets a glare and a verbal rebuke.

But the way Arthur goes up Eames' neck when the alpha comes in whenever he pleases or hasn't read the briefing of the day? That's something else entirely (And it is not like Eames doesn’t do his work – Ariadne is observant enough to see that most of the essential planning - the idea with the relationship to the father, the concept of Fisher giving himself the idea, the plan to use Browning – comes from Eames. He is competent and invested in this, no matter his _laissez-fair_ attitude and Arthur must know it, too. It seems as if he is actively looking for a fight just on principle. Maybe it's the only way he knows how to get Eames' attention).

After week three is over Ariadne is relatively certain Eames must have blown Arthur off tremendously. Some really nasty break-up. Maybe Eames shagged Arthur's sister or something. There are way too many feelings there. Ariadne wonders if there is some leftover love turned bitter.

* * *

She wonders what she has gotten herself into with one guy having some serious problems with his wife-shaped subconscious, two guys having serious problems with each other and the indecisiveness of either wanting to kill or fuck and another guy having serious problems with his energy drink consumption (Well ok that might be the least of their problems). Is she actually the only sane person here? Well, as sane as one can be agreeing to work with this cluster fuck group of men (that she actually like more and more with each day, insanity no-withstanding).

* * *

She manages to glue a piece of the first level hospital-skeleton to her finger on an especially rainy day, while watching the Arthur-Eames-show.  
She has to try and rip it off without anyone noticing (because it’s a bit embarrassing, okay) and she only looks down and concentrates on it for maybe ten seconds. She looks up again, because it is suddenly far too silent.

Arthur and Eames are staring at each other, both silent. Ariadne looks between them, holding her breath, cursing herself on not having paid attention.  
Then Eames turns on his heels and storms out of the warehouse without his jacket, or phone or anything, really.

Ariadne bites the inside of her cheek with her hands still under the table, tugging on the piece of persisting plastic while she watches Arthur looking towards the door. She notices Cobb throwing his point man a squinting look. The omega visibly deflates, shoulders slumping momentarily and she can't quite make out what's flashing over his expression before he straightens up again and turns back to his desk. His shoulders are drawn up tensely.

Ariadne gives up after five minutes and goes to the bathroom (with as much dignity as she can with that piece of plastic glued to her hand) to use hot water and soap to try to get the glue off. When she comes back out, Arthur is gone and so is his and Eames' jacket.

She throws Cobb a curious look, who seems to notices and briefly looks up. She isn't quite sure, but she thinks he smiles just a little. Might be a squint, too. It's hard to tell, his face carries this sort of heavy exhaustion that makes even a smile seem forced and painful. Yusuf gives her a thumps-up, so she supposes its good news.

* * *

Something happened, Ariadne knows. When she comes in the day afterwards, Arthur and Eames are already there and Arthur is _not_ trying to kill Eames passive aggressively with his eyes (or by throwing sharp pencils) and Eames is _not_ taunting the other with inappropriate comments, either.  
She narrows her eyes, coming to stand a few steps away from them, watching for a moment, before crossing her arms and lifting a brow.

  
"Okay, what’s going on here?" she wants to know and both of them look at her as if she has asked something out of context. Which she did not. They both know exactly what she means.

  
"What are you talking about, duck?" Eames asks her with one of his greasy-car-salesman grins and she wants to cuff him over the head a little.

  
"This. You. No threats or flying staplers?" she gestures between them. God knows, on her first day she wouldn't have dared to be so blunt, but after being holed up with these idiots for weeks, a beta gets bold, even around alphas and omegas.

  
She swears Arthur's lips twitch, before turning his chair away and politely dismissing her, while Eames just smiles that innocent smile and shrugs a shoulder. He ask if she wants coffee, motioning to where he had obviously gotten the team to-go beverage again. She scowls, but goes there anyway, her thirst for coffee winning over her thirst for curiosity. She throws a last look over her shoulder to Arthur and wonders if she is imagining the red tips of his ears.  
Something must have happened, she knows.

* * *

They still bicker and pick at each other's ideas, but it's less ... hostile. She dares to think it is almost playful now (“Might? We're gonna need to do a little better than 'might'.” – “Oh, thank you for your contribution, Arthur.”). She dies to know what happened after they stormed out that day.

* * *

"Am I witnessing some sort of prolonged foreplay?" she asks Yusuf behind a hand at some point and Yusuf chokes on his energy drink, spilling half of it over his shirt and both Eames and Arthur look to them from where they are trying to write on the same whiteboard with different colored pens like literal five-year olds.

* * *

Arthur still throws things at Eames, but Ariadne likes to think it is in a affectionate way (as affectionate as it can be to throw a pencil at someone) and more often than not, rather to get the alpha’s attention instead of having the intention to concuss him.

Ariadne also thinks, she gets why Arthur always seems extra-testy when Eames comes back in after a week of fake-working for Browning, too. Well, she cheated, because she saw them standing outside when she looked out of the window. They were standing closer together than needed, Arthur absentmindedly rubbing his fingers against Eames' sleeve. He must have smelled too much like other people, not like them, like Arthur. She does stop watching though when they start to lean into each other, feeling weirdly intrusive in a moment that belongs to them.

Eames reels in his extra-asshole behavior towards Arthur as well, actually reading what the omega gives them. Ariadne is pretty sure he read it before, too and just acted as if he didn’t. At some point, he starts to go over to Arthur first in the morning and lets him chose from whatever he brings in for breakfast for the group. Ariadne is a bit peeved about Eames playing favorite now that she isn’t favorite anymore (just a bit, though, because it is kind of adorable to watch the alpha shuffle over and tentatively hold out the bag, and then grin when Arthur ducks his head and looks into it, holding onto Eames’ wrist with one of his hands gently).

  
It’s the fourth week, two days before they go under.

* * *

When they go under, its pure chaos in a matter of seconds. Introduced by a fucking train ramming into her city and everyone is too pissed to even find this as disturbing as her.  
She doesn't like to admit it, but she is overwhelmed and confused when they end up having to hide from projections shooting at them in a goddamn dream that was supposed to play in a hospital.

Cobb is screaming at Arthur. Saito has been shot (how did that even happen). Everyone is wet and aggressive and without orientation.

  
Abruptly, Eames pushes himself between Cobb shouting at Arthur. He points a gun at Saito on the ground (and Ariadne knows it’s a dream, but her heart still leaps). It stumbles even more when Cobb suddenly goes up Eames' collar, making everyone freeze. The alpha promptly soothes Cobb with his voice, _("Hey.. Hey...")_ and it calms the beta down. But then the next cluster fuck is revealed and Ariadne feels like she won't stop _reeling_. Limbo? Unconstructed dream space? Nothing goes according to plan.

They improvise. They have to.

On the second level things slow down again, at least for the moment. Ariadne feels out of her own body, knowing that a level up, Yusuf is driving like crazy, trying to lose the _militarized projections_.

And then they are in a hotel room, and Arthur is going to watch over them and Ariadne doesn’t know what her expression conveys. But she feels Eames touch her arm soothingly and smile at her, telling her it is going to be okay. She nods, letting him put the needle into her arm. She sees him lying down on the floor and Arthur coming to crouch by his side. The last thing she thinks is that it has always been Arthur putting the needle into Eames’ arm.

When the hotel had been slowing things down, the third level seems to fast forward everything again, projections almost instantly at them.  
Mal shows up. She (or Cobb?) almost ruins it. It is not like she is even real. But try telling that to Cobb.

He almost gives up, but Ariadne has never been one to do that. And she knows, even if Cobb maybe doesn't, that he has to confront his ghosts if he ever wants to find peace. And that he is strong enough to do it.

So they do it together.  
He does it.

Ariadne can say, she is proud of him. She knows he will find Saito, and they will come back.

* * *

When she wakes up, she blinks at the ceiling of the plane for a few seconds. Her heart is pounding like after a nightmare, when one is still unable to move for a few moments. The terror fades, though and with it the mobility returns. She slowly turns her head, sees Eames shifting a little and Cobb blinking his blue eyes open. She smiles, notices Eames looking at her, and then past her towards Arthur.

She smiles to herself for the rest of the flight. They did it. She managed to get Cobb out. At least, she likes to think she led him through the maze of his own guilt and horrors. That she is the one that showed him a way to get out of it.

It feels unreal, as they all mingle in the baggage claim area, pretending not to know each other. Pretending not having worked together for weeks, having pulled off the impossible together. Dreaming, dying, tying fates together.

Ariadne watches Cobb take his bag and leave for the exit, and she smiles to herself before letting her eyes wander around to the rest of the team.

Her smile widens when she sees Eames with a luggage trolley and Arthur walking towards him. He stops in front of it and Ariadne can't see their faces, but a few seconds later Arthur lifts his suitcase onto the trolley and joins Eames’ side, the two of them leaving together, shoulders brushing.

She thinks she can fill in that missing blank.

* * *

Ariadne doesn't hear from anyone for months. The only evidence this was real, is the number on her account. She graduates and she finds an internship at a company Professor Miles recommends her for.

It's late March when her phone rings and Cobb's voice from the other end of the line asks:

_"Would you be interested in building something impossible again?"_

* * *

\- End


End file.
